Part 23 (2/2)

With my eyes closed against the ugliness of the world, I am so blessed to be able to recall the Holy Scripture. King David's psalms are some of my favorite pa.s.sages from the Old Testament. ”When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.”

The world is filled with evil and cruelty, with those who profess to love the Lord and do His work. But some are false prophets. Those are the ones G.o.d commands me to punish.

I'm listening, Lord. I know who You have chosen next to receive Thy swift and harsh punishment. Give me the time and day of his death, and I will do Thy bidding. I am Your humble servant, Your avenging angel of death.

Knowing she had a busy day tomorrow, even with Treasures closed, Cathy took a shower and prepared for bed earlier than usual. She and Lorie were in charge of the Lansdell Estate sale, which was scheduled for two weeks from yesterday. They would have to begin clearing the junk from the old house and preparing the furniture and the saleable contents to be displayed and priced. As she towel-dried her hair, she debated whether to use the blow-dryer or simply let it dry naturally overnight. After hanging the towel across the shower curtain rack and running a comb through her wavy, damp strands, she put on her floor-length cotton gown and padded barefoot into the bedroom.

The sound of the doorbell at-she glanced at the bedside clock-nine-thirty on Sunday night surprised her. She certainly wasn't expecting anyone. By the time she'd found her house slippers and lightweight cotton robe, her visitor had rung the doorbell again.

She rushed down the hall, through the living room and to the front door. When she peered through the viewfinder, she sucked in a deep breath. What was Jack doing on her doorstep at this time of night?

Without hesitation, she unlocked and opened the door. He stood there with a peculiar expression on his face.

He looked her over from head to toe. ”Were you already in bed? I didn't wake you, did I?”

”No,” she replied. ”It's been a long, tiring day, which started pretty early this morning, and I have a busy day tomorrow, so I thought I'd try for an early bedtime tonight.”

”I guess I should have called first.”

”It's all right.” When he kept staring at her so oddly, she asked, ”Is something wrong?”

He glanced from side to side. ”Mind if I come in? I'd rather not include your neighbors in our conversation.”

”Oh, of course.” She stepped aside to allow him entrance. ”Please come in.”

After he entered, she closed the door and turned to face him. He was close. Too close. Only inches separated their bodies. Jack was a good nine inches taller than her height of five-five, and the lanky young guy she'd fallen in love with years ago was now broader and more muscular but equally lean and fit. She stared up into his blue eyes, eyes she had never been able to forget. A s.h.i.+ver of pure s.e.xual awareness rippled along every nerve in her body.

Jackson Perdue was the only man who'd ever been able to light up her insides like a glowing Christmas tree by doing nothing more than looking at her. No matter what else had changed in her life and in their relations.h.i.+p, that one fact remained the same.

His gaze devoured her. ”Cathy...”

The way he looked at her and the way he said her name brought back memories of a time in her life she had tried to put behind her.

She couldn't allow her traitorous body to dictate her actions. She couldn't do this. She couldn't! She wasn't ready.

Easing away from him, putting some safe distance between their bodies, she took several steps into the living room. ”Please come in and sit down. I'll get us some iced tea.”

She watched as his chest moved with the force of the deep breath he sucked in and released, and she knew that he felt the magnetic force vibrating between them as intensely as she did.

”No iced tea for me,” he said as he followed her.

She indicated the sofa. He sat down first, and then she sat on the opposite end of the sofa. ”Why are you here, Jack?”

”I'm not sure,” he admitted as he rubbed his open palms up and down his thighs. ”I guess I thought maybe you'd call me and tell me how things went today, you know, with you and Seth and-”

”Oh, I didn't realize you expected me to call you.”

”I don't expect anything from you,” he told her. ”I just thought that maybe you might want to talk, but I guess you've got Donnie Hovater to talk to now.”

She caught the hint of censure in his voice and realized that he either disapproved of her budding friends.h.i.+p with the minister or was jealous.

”Donnie is a new friend, and that's all he is-a friend. He's trying to help me work out something with J.B. and Mona so that I don't have to take them to court to regain custody of Seth.”

Jack c.o.c.ked an eyebrow, the action expressing doubt. ”If he can accomplish that, more power to him. But I'd hate to see you get your hopes up for nothing.”

She forced a smile and then changed the subject because there really wasn't anything else to say about the matter. ”How was your lunch at the Cedar House Grill? Did you take Lorie?”

”Yeah, I took Lorie. Why do you ask? Are you jealous?” he asked, a quirky grin on his face.

”No, of course not. What a thing to say. You and Lorie aren't...Are you?”

Jack laughed. ”h.e.l.l, no.”

”She's still in love with Mike, you know.”

”Warning me to stay away from her?”

”You and Lorie are free to-”

”I'm not interested in playing second fiddle. Like you said, she's still hung up on Mike.”

Cathy sighed softly. ”And it's pretty much hopeless.”

”Yeah, she filled me in on the situation. I like Lorie. I always did. She and Mike were great together, way back when. But I can see his side of things. It would take a pretty big man to get past what she did.”

”She made some mistakes. We all make mistakes. Are you saying that we shouldn't find a way to forgive the people we love?”

”Don't put words in my mouth, honey. All I'm saying is that Lorie bared all in Playboy Playboy and had s.e.x with several partners, on film, and Mike's a proud man and in many ways a very old-fas.h.i.+oned man.” and had s.e.x with several partners, on film, and Mike's a proud man and in many ways a very old-fas.h.i.+oned man.”

”If he loved her...”

”d.a.m.n, Cathy, you and I know that sometimes love isn't enough.”

She stared at him, her eyes wide, her heart hammering inside her chest. ”I did love you,” she said in a whisper.

”Did you?”

”Yes. With all my heart.” Please, G.o.d-please don't let him ask me why I married Mark if I loved him so much. Please, G.o.d-please don't let him ask me why I married Mark if I loved him so much.

He nodded. ”We were a couple of kids with raging hormones. I was h.o.r.n.y as h.e.l.l, and you were in love with love.” He shot to his feet unexpectedly.

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